News from the APA Annual Convention, Aug. 7-Aug. 10, in Washington DC

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Resilience Among Black Gay and Bisexual Men

APA convention is a great way to obtain continuing education. As an early career psychologist, I find one of the most beneficial things about attending convention is being able to improve my knowledge in areas in which I’ve had limited training during my graduate career. Earlier today, I attended a session sponsored by APA Div. 44 on Resilience in the Face of Minority Stress Among Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexuals (LGB). The presenters highlighted the importance of resilience in coping with the stigmatizing experiences of LGB individuals.

Ilan H. Meyer, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, noted that resilience involves both individual and community-level variables. These variables include things such as community resources, having a sense of belonging, staying connected and living with authenticity.

Nadav Antebi, MA, also from Columbia, identified four important themes related to resilience among young black gay youth based on qualitative research. These themes included:

moving forward (e.g., not worrying about the past and focusing on the future)

Given the impact of intersecting identities and help-seeking behaviors of men, it is important as a clinical psychologist to be aware of these factors that affect resilience in black gay youth. This session provided a starting point for increasing my awareness of working with this population.

Please contact the researchers for more information about their research.

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About Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.

I am a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. I have been licensed as a psychologist in Maryland and Virginia. In addition to my clinial work, my research focuses on access to child mental health services, ethnic minority mental health, and cultural competency in clinical practice. You can learn more at www.drerlangerturner.com